


Her Day

by merlinsmushrooms



Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, M/M, Multi, Tumblr Roleplay, Wedding Planning, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-01-31 01:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12665859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlinsmushrooms/pseuds/merlinsmushrooms
Summary: When Sofia gets engaged to Prince Hugo, she demands Cedric be by her side with the rest of her family on the special day. {{Archived RP from Tumblr.}}





	1. News

**Author's Note:**

> {{Please be advised that this is an archived role-play from Tumblr. Due to this, there may be several errors as this story has been written between two people over the course of several months for fun. While quick passes have been made to correct typos, other issues such as structural flow, repetition of certain points, or mild changes in story may be present due to the nature of the source. Please keep this in mind while reading and/or leaving comments, and thank you for all your support! This is our absolute most favorite thread we've done as a duo, and we are happy to share it here on a03 as well. <3
> 
> Sofia is written by so-excited-to-be.  
> Cedric is written by merlinsmushrooms.}}

Secrets were a strange mainstay of Sofia’s life; sometimes wonderful and too important to let fall into the wrong hands… other times they were immensely difficult to keep, her heart bursting to tell what she knew to be true.  Nevertheless, over the years, there was one person she knew she could always tell all her secrets, and she believed he felt the same way about her.  Mister Cedric had been utterly faithful in keeping to himself the powers of her amulet, and all the mishaps that had happened because of it, as well as all the joys.  She, too, had witnessed some of his best, and worst, moments, ones that he would probably have liked to hide from everyone, but trusted her to keep it in confidence.  Despite all the many incredible changes the last decade had brought, this was one thing that remained the same.

In fact, there was one secret which the princess kept deeply hidden, a most precious and marvelous secret that few others would ever uncover.  No longer the loner everyone assumed him to be, Mister Cedric had found love after all, and had sealed it with a vow.  Sofia had seen the changes being in such a relationship had fostered, and she couldn’t help but be a little enchanted at how well he looked these days.  She had always known it was in there, the good man he could be, but now, another witnessed it and helped him be that man too.

It was, however, a bit uncanny that ten years later she still found herself opening the door to his workshop, troubled about her amulet once more, only this time it was not a matter of magic, but a matter of the heart.  "Mister Cedric, it’s me–“ she announced, as she halfway knocked on the door before coming inside.  Smiling, she caught his eye with a twinkle in hers, waiting until he looked up from his current task.  
  
“I have some good news!” she grinned. “Hugo proposed to me last night!”  The flush in her cheeks betrayed her excitement, but she left little room for congratulations, adding, “But, I didn’t answer him yet.  …Mister Cedric, do you think we could talk for a little while?  I have some questions and I really need your help.”

\---

It was a rarity that he was delighted to do formal work, but for once it was something that brought him great pride. How could he not indulge himself? Transcribing his own grimoires into something for the students at Hexley Hall was one thing he was more than happy to do for Merlin upon request, and while compiling and sorting his research was a boring task, for once it wasn’t mundane. He hadn’t left his workshop since he had begun the task several days prior, but luckily enough for him, nobody had legitimately come to bother him. Snacks and drinks were brought by an assortment of faces, but visitations were thankfully brief. For what felt like the first time in forever he was working at a reasonable pace.

It seemed that his most recent visitor would be one that would delight him even though he was nose deep into his work. He had been scratching into the blank tomes for hours and his vision was starting to go funny from strain. He couldn’t turn to face the princess at first - he had to finish a rather complicated diagram before he could as much as glance up - but would greet her with the usual wave of his hand. The moment he was finished, however, he would shuffle upon his chair to face her, crossing one leg over the other as he was interrupted before he even had the chance to say a word to the young woman.  Somebody was eager.

And that reason for her pep instantly churned his stomach in a manner he wouldn’t have been able to handle even if it weren’t sprung upon him in an instant.

She had been proposed to?! 

The neutral delight in his expression shifted instantly to a twitch of the brow; teeth clenched his bottom lip as he held back whatever exclamation would have escaped him should he had not stopped himself.  Of course, that pampered brat would propose to her so soon. It was to be expected, however, and he would keep his composure. Sofia was an adult now, and no matter how much he detested the thought, the time was coming where he would have to let her do as she wished with the rest of her life— brat and all.  
  
The little addition to her announcement took him by surprise, however, and he couldn’t help but inquire into the oddity.  
  
“You…didn’t?” he would question as he stood, reaching for his cane to steady himself as he gestured to the stairs at the back of his workshop, “Of course, dear. Talk. Indeed. Same spot as usual, yes? Would you like some tea, or are your nerves too rattled for a cup?”  
  
In reality, it was his nerves that were rattling. He thought there was much more time before something as significant as this would transpire. 

\---

Sofia couldn’t help but grin as she saw his reaction, and her heart went out to him, never having anticipated how much of a shock this would be to the great sorcerer.  It was true that she hadn’t visited him as often while her relationship with Hugo had accelerated, so perhaps it all seemed too sudden to him.  She would have to allay his fears with as many details as she could remember.   Truly, when it came to Hugo, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was every bit the brave and true, if not stubborn and peculiar, man she knew him to be.

He wasn’t the problem.  Sofia felt the reason for caution lay with her, and it was for this reason she had sought out the one and only Cedric the Sensational.  Only he could help her with this decision.  
  
“Why don’t you take the stairs and I’ll make the tea,” she suggested, patting his shoulder gently as she gestured towards his living quarters.  Perhaps she should have sent word ahead with the news, to let him digest it, but she had wanted to tell him in person.  With a smile she left him, returning in a few moments with a steaming brew.  While it was very good, Baileywick’s successor hadn’t quite mastered overseeing the kitchen in the same way.   Nevertheless, it would do to soothe them both.

She settled comfortably beside him, taking a sip before admitting,  
  
“I just couldn’t say yes to him right away… I felt like it wasn’t fair to him!  Mister Cedric, Hugo doesn’t know about my amulet… he doesn’t know anything beyond my single trip to Avalor.  He doesn’t know I that I’m sometimes summoned to far off places to help other princesses that are in trouble, or that I can talk to animals, or that I have to keep searching to find out my true destiny regarding the powers it gives me. He doesn’t even know I’m a Story Keeper.”

She sighed, gently cradling the teacup in her hands.   
  
“I didn’t think it would be right for him to get married to someone, only to find out they’re a different person than he knew.  You’re the only one who knows about my amulet, and you’ve been married for years now, so I knew I needed to speak to you.  What do you think I should do?” 

\---

He would smile and silently yet humbly accept her offer, sighing deeply as he steadied himself to limp down the stairs to his living quarters. Better for him to focus on calming his nerves than potentially spill boiling hot tea over himself. He hadn’t stopped shaking since the girl’s sudden announcement. It seemed that her taking note of his anxiety had spurred her to take over the simple task for him. Any man would be nervous about their little girl not being quite so little anymore.   
Bless that child. 

Settling himself into his armchair, Cedric would breathe deeply as he flicked his wand to light the fireplace— the ambiance being something he usually found comfort in. He would remain quiet as the child returned with the tray, and would lose his attention to the flames as she set the refreshments; his mind drawing a blank towards everything. It wasn’t until she spoke once more than he would turn to face her, listening with nervous intent.  
  
She hadn’t told him? Sofia wouldn’t even have time to finish her explanation before his fingers slipped to his temples, but he would hold back his sighing and allow her to finish. Perhaps this was the reason she hadn’t gone to her own parents. Even they weren’t fully aware of the shenanigans they got up to. If they made him nervous there was no telling what Roland would do to prevent her from going on such escapades. 

“Well,” he would begin as he cleared his throat, “I think you should have told him years ago. But, that is a mistake that cannot be rectified now, and thus you will have to tell him now. You cannot hide such important secrets from those you love.”

His brow would cock as he snickered for just a moment, but his expression would clear as he resumed his lecture.

“If this boy truly cares about you, he will display so much concern he may plead for you to stop endangering yourself. He may be angry with you, but you let him be angry. If he becomes distraught, you give him time. If he protests, you let him. Hugo is a brash young man and may not take well to the news that you’ve been putting yourself at risk, but once his head clears he will realize that you are fine. It is if he agrees to not force you to change your life that you entwine yours with his. Do not compromise yourself for any man or woman, Sofia. You are who you are, and nothing but misery awaits you if you change yourself for another.”

\---

Sofia studied his face as he spoke, noticing the subtle changes since she had seen him last. He looked more tired, more shaken– though that could have been her fault, given her announcement upon arrival– but more content than ever before. Long gone were the days spent alone with Wormwood, falling asleep on dusty tomes with beakers strewn about. As much as he could hardly fathom how much she had grown up, she marveled at just how great he had become.  
  
She looked away when he chastised her, a familiar guilty look creeping into her expression. As he continued, she tentatively lifted her eyes to his, relieved to see he harbored no true disdain towards her. Instead, he seemed rather passionate about the subject, valiantly defending Hugo and preparing her for any outcome.  
  
Yes, Hugo might react in any of those ways, but Sofia owed it to him to give him a chance to respond well.  
The great irony in all of this was that nearly a decade before, Sofia had taught Hugo this very lesson! One can’t lead a double life forever, and in the end, it’s much better to tell the truth and be accepted for who you are. Enchanted Skating was the least of their concern now, but at the time it had been a source of genuine tension between the boy and his father. Nevertheless, at least that once, Hugo’s father had managed to accept and support his son beyond what Hugo had ever expected. Sofia would have to trust him in the same way.  
  
“Nothing but misery awaits you if you change yourself for another,” Sofia repeated, nodding solemnly. "You can speak from experience on that, and so can Hugo,“ she breathed, a little smile tugging at the corner of her lips.  
  
"But I’ve tried so hard to be whatever people wanted over the years. Going from village girl to royal princess was no easy task, but I rarely questioned it. Whether I was serving as a Buttercup Scout or as your apprentice, I just tried to be the best ‘me’ everyone else needed. But if Hugo and I are truly going to live life together, I guess I have to tell him, and just… be myself.” Granted, Sofia felt more comfortable around Hugo than almost anyone else, except perhaps, Mister Cedric himself.  
  
Her smile widened then, the realization of her decision sinking in.  
  
“I’m confident Hugo won’t ask me to change for him… he’ll just need a little while to absorb it is all. Then as long as you don’t think any harm will come to him or my amulet, you think I should accept his proposal?” she asked, excitement dancing in her eyes.

\---

“It seems you’ve answered your own question already, Princess. Why are you asking me?”  
  
There was a certain humble sarcasm in his expression as he tipped his head towards the child. The warm and father-like smile he harbored being masked as he finally began to sip on his tea. It was a strange blend of chamomile and lavender, but it seemed like a most excellent pick considering the circumstances; soothing and over-sweetened perfectly to this taste. It seemed she had learned what sort of drink was needed for certain times. She was as clever and charming as always.  
  
He would remain entirely silent and just eye the youth with enthusiastic yet nervous intention.  
  
This was her decision to make; not his.

\---


	2. The Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia's conversation with Cedric about her betrothal continues as she makes a most important request.

Enjoying the company of others came very naturally to Sofia, which meant that she often felt lonely making decisions by herself. While this was no one’s choice to make but her own, she had needed to seek Mister Cedric’s guidance and council… or had she? 

In the most gentle of ways, he had exposed a habit that Sofia would need to change in order to take on the role of Duchess. No longer a little girl, she could not keep running to him, or anyone else, to show her what next steps she ought to take– she must run in tandem with Hugo wherever the future took them. 

Before she could join Hugo side by side, however, there was one more important thing Sofia needed to ask her beloved sorcery teacher, something that she could not decide without him.  
She set down her teacup, scooting over to sit at the edge of her chair, just beside his.

“There is another question I wanted to ask you,” she told him, a hope shining in her eyes.

“Would you walk with me down the aisle, Mister Cedric? Dad’s going to be there and I was really hoping you’d come too.”   
Sofia had come to trust him implicitly, adore him entirely, and rely on his faithful support and wisdom as much as any child ever had towards her father. She could think of no better way to show that than to have him at her arm on her wedding day, as long as he was willing. 

\---

She wanted him to do what?!  
Whatever composure he had managed shattered the instant the realization came to him. No man with such a bond with a child would be able to hold in such raw emotion. Dipping his forehead into his fingers, Cedric would mask his tears as he tried to procure words. All he could manage to say was nothing more than babbling gibberish, however. No matter how many times he had managed to work through his awkwardness, it seemed that Sofia would always throw some sort of curve at him and he’d lose his ability to speak. 

As he managed to finally force himself to nod a yes, he would lose himself further and reach his hand out to hers, holding it gently within his scarred palms, fingers caressing hers as he attempted to calm himself.

Anything she wanted.  
Anything at all.

\---

His response hadn’t been at all what she expected, and it was so completely different form Roland’s cheerful, “Of course I will, Sofia!” that the princess almost didn’t know what was happening. One eyebrow lifted high on her forehead as he hid his face, letting words escape him that made little sense. Perhaps he was even weaker than she had realized…

Once his fingers grasped for hers, Sofia understood. As his eyes watered with tears, she blinked back her own, not even sure why they were both crying about something so happy. It was the start of the new life they would share together, a grown up life, the kind in which they would greet one another as Royal Sorcerer and Duchess, but ever in their hearts they would think of each other as ‘Mister Cedric’ and 'Princess.’ Sofia clasped both of his hands in hers, a soft smile on her lips, as she bent forward, lightly touching her forehead to his.

“You still won’t be able to get rid of me, you know,” she teased. "Married or not, I’ll still be knocking at your door, insisting you tell me what you are working on next!“ She ran her thumb over the scars on his fingers, an unspoken understanding between them. 

"Mister Cedric, I love you and would always tell you anything… Y-you’d tell me if something was ever wrong, wouldn’t you? Because if you need me, Hugo and I can live here–” she pressed his hand to her cheek, trying to memorize the feeling. Sofia was sorry she hadn’t been visiting as often in the last few months, though they had both been busy with necessary things. Lifting her eyes to his face, she smiled, pleading with him,  
“Please, don’t push yourself too hard.” 

\---

“Oh, no no no,” he would interject the moment he could weave himself into her words, “It is time for you to fly freely, child. Go with him if that is what you wish for.”

Gently nuzzling her forehead in an exchange that had become common in more recent years, Cedric would smile with that same crooked appearance that beamed with honesty. It was so hard to come to terms that she was her own woman now, but it still pained him to deal with this so soon. Never before had the reality been so clear nor the emotions so raw and overwhelming. This was a sort of happiness; a painful one, but happiness none the less. This was life.

“Just…never stop knocking on my door, please. I want to hear every story.”

\---

Sofia grinned, accepting his answer for the moment. She still felt that perhaps he wasn’t telling her the whole truth, but now was the not the time for suspicions. Now was a time for celebrating! Returning his embrace, she kissed his knuckles, pushing aside the pang of sadness she felt at the sight of his scars. The damage left there was only on the surface– inside he had healed so much since she had first met him as a child. 

Sitting back she ducked her head, rolling her eyes in slight self consciousness.  
“I was never any good at keeping stories from you,” she confessed. "The more I think about all the times I came charging in here while you were trying to work! Sometimes I didn’t even have anything to tell you, I just wanted to see what you were doing. Your space,“ she gestured to the workshop upstairs, "it always fascinated me. It still does. That’s something that Hugo’s just had to get used to– a princess who loves magic! I don’t think he minded once he realized how much more exciting life can be when you’re walking on clouds or breathing underwater.”

She paused, asking,

“Do you really want to hear every story? Because I DO have quite a few. Since you seemed so surprised, maybe I should start with what led to Hugo’s proposal?” she asked, trying to gauge if that was a good subject to broach or not. She didn’t want to traumatize the poor man, but he had told her he wanted to hear it all!


	3. One of Many Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia gives a reluctant Cedric the tale of how Hugo and her came to be engaged.

There was no way he was emotionally prepared for such tales at this very moment, but it was almost a sort of instinct for him to shrug and nod his head a gentle yes. Whatever made her happy.

He would slide back into the comfort of his armchair as he took a long and exasperated sip of tea. Kronos only knew how long it’d take for him to be able to take another once she began her tale. Perhaps he’d need something stronger to soothe his nerves for whatever that brat Hugo had been up to behind his back? This had better be a tale of pleasantries and fickle youth, and if not, there would be hell for that boy. Absolute heck. Not a very good time— he’d be sure of it.

\---

Encouraged, Sofia began her tale, her smile deepening as she saw the protective interest he took in her story. Truly, he was just like a father to her, ready to come to her defense if need be. Fortunately, no precautions were necessary.

“I don’t know how familiar you are with Hugo’s family, but his father can be very… expectant. Hugo’s brother, Axel, got married a couple of years ago and the marriage was very high profile. The treaties between the two kingdoms were very profitable and everyone seemed to adore having a new royal couple. Now that they’re settled, however, it seems like all of the king’s attention is on his second son, who he’s always perceived as someone who… struggles at life.” 

Sofia hated to put it that way, but she knew it was true, they all did. Hugo was the family underdog, the target of constant criticism and pity all at once. Despite his numerous successes, Hugo’s accomplishments always seemed to be diminished by his father’s suggestions of ways he could have done even better, ways he could have been more like himself or Axel. Living in the shadow of his brother was something that Hugo, and Sofia, had come to accept, until it began to impede upon their relationship.

“With Axel happily married, Hugo was under a lot of pressure from his father to take things further, to secure our courtship and make a grand display of uniting with Enchancia. I saw the changes in Hugo, how jumpy he was, how embarrassed he seemed around me, how much more every time we saw his family he insisted on holding my hand or shushing me from telling about one of my latest travels. Something was wrong, and I didn’t know what it was, but I thought maybe he was trying to tell me we were going our separate ways. I… I’ve never been rejected before, Mister Cedric,” she confessed, her gaze falling to her lap for a moment. All those times as a girl she had tried to force him into what she thought would be happiness for him, only to have him turn down her ideas for fear of rejection– she hadn’t understood it then, but she had a small idea now of the pain he had avoided.

“So I told Hugo that if he didn’t love me anymore, he should tell me, so we could both be free, but I think that shocked him, so he apologized for acting so strangely. He told me all the plans his father had for the two of us and how much pressure he’d been under and that all he really wanted to do was get married to me and have it be just the two of us, no kingdoms to worry about, no treaties to sign! But a prince can’t do that, he told me. So I said I was pretty sure a prince could, if he wanted it badly enough, and I guess he did, because then he just took my hands, like this,” Sofia laced her fingers between Cedric’s for a full dramatic effect, pressing their palms together. "And said, “Princess Sofia, will you marry me, even if I ask you just right now, while no one is watching?”

Sofia paused, smiling sheepishly at him before gently withdrawing her hands. "I should have just said yes. But I was so worried about what he would think about my amulet, and my adventures, when he’d decided to be so honest with me! I’ll… have to make it up to him.“ She sighed, resting her cheek in her hand as she propped her elbow on his armrest. 

"Is marriage always like this? Full disclosure, all the time? Somehow Mom and Dad made it look so easy all these years…” 

\---

He had become quite familiar with Hugo’s family over the past few years. Roland seemed rather fond of King Garrick and his family, and despite his protests of not wanting to mingle with the royals, he had been forced to have more than one conversation with the obnoxious king. Hugo? Hugo himself he had quite a bit of experience with. Between filling in at Royal Prep as a sorcery teacher or as a babysitter, he was blessed with having to answer a bombardment of questions about Sofia from that meddlesome youth. 

The moment Sofia mentioned what Hugo’s father’s thoughts truly were, however, his brow would arch and he’d take another sip of tea to mask his curious expression. That was not anything that he seemed to have picked up from Garrick’s gloating, but then again, narcissists hid their true intentions well. He would listen intently even with his resentment towards Hugo— nobody has listened to him when his own father had made such degrading statements. 

Listening to her tale, he would smile and nod throughout her story without ever once interrupting her. She seemed so full of life as she gushed over the experience despite its ups and downs; so happy. She deserved this. It wasn’t until she inquired that he’d respond with a shrug and a shake of his head no. Once again, asking questions that weren’t exactly suited to him.

“I’m afraid that I’m not the man you should be asking, Sofia. But you’re right, they did make it look easy.”

Fingers would gently reach under his ascot to grasp and fondle the ring hidden under the fabrics.   
If only life were as easy as Roland had made it seem at times.  
If only.

\---


	4. An honest answer

Sofia’s gaze lingered on his face, his soft spoken words holding her attention as much as any jubilant exclamation. How different the two men she called ‘Father’ were, but how dearly she loved and needed both of them. Roland had shown her the joys of marriage and romance, in every glance he gave Sofia’s mother, every hand around her waist, every booming compliment, and as a child that had brought Sofia much stability, comfort and happiness. It had planted the seeds in her own heart of the kind of future she wanted and the kind of love she hoped to find.

But also helping her at every twist and turn was Mister Cedric, her valiant hero, who had helped her face monsters, evil enchantresses, shatter curses and run off wicked fairies. No stranger to the darkness, he had taught her to be brave, and to never give up. Their adventures had instilled a tenacity in Sofia, a daring willingness to press on even in tough times, and to see the magic in everything. These were also necessary lessons if Sofia and Hugo were to have a marriage that was not only blissful, but healthy and deep, the kind that would last through loss and the unexpected.

“You’re just the man I should be asking!” Sofia protested with a determined smile. "Because I know you won’t lie to me.“ Her voice was low and soft like his, as they both sat for a moment, lost in their thoughts. "Tell me the worst of it, Mister Cedric, please. You’ve always believed I was capable, given me the knowledge I needed when no one else seemed to think I was ready. …Has it been hard, committing to one person for the rest of your days?”

\---

His sigh was not only exasperated but laced with a frustration towards his own situation. It was a reminder of all the years where he truly believed that he would be alone, and a reminder that if things hadn’t played out the way they had perhaps he still would be. Clasping his hands together, he would dwell on the words he would need to speak. Sofia was so expectant and still saw him as something more than he actually was. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her, but it seemed that sometimes he needed to. Granted, his reality was quite different to that of her step-father’s; perhaps that reality was something she truly needed.

“No.” he would state firmly with a dash of hesitation.

It would take a moment for him to sort his thoughts out, but he would articulate them to her as he reached a hand out to place upon hers, his eyes stern yet still filled with a soft and loving expression that he rarely displayed to anybody else.

“It’s not hard to be loyal to somebody who gave you a chance when nobody else would, Sofia. It’s also not hard to be loyal to somebody who doesn’t expect you to change— cares about you for who you are despite the faults that others detested you for. I swear if that boy tries to make you change, I will not stand for it. You hear me?”

The somberness to his voice quickly melted into one of concern and worry. It seemed his emotions had taken hold of him once more and veered him off in an entirely different direction than he had intended, but he was only a man. A man trying to protect one of the children he considered close enough to him to be his own kin. 

\---

It was all Sofia had ever wanted for him, all she had ever dared dream might happen to her beloved teacher and friend, and to hear him speak so earnestly of the love he had found made her heart feel as if it might burst. There was a catch in her throat as she realized he had the unconditional love she had always sought for him; he had found a ‘home.’ A place where he could be the man she knew him to be, wonderful and brave and talented and clever and kind, and be adored in return. It was also true he was many unpleasant things, but he had found a space between he and his True Love that Sofia had so longed for him to find, a space that allowed for those less desirable qualities to exist and somehow not make him any less lovable.

Just as she had wanted this for him so badly, he wanted it for her. He would fight for her, even, to make sure she had nothing less. Was this the kind of love she and Hugo had? She… believed so. But after spending so many years under a father who repeatedly had tried to make Hugo someone he wasn’t, she wondered how much he would be able to resist repeating his father’s mistakes, despite having borne the worst of them. Perhaps he would be like Mister Cedric, and Sofia’s love would be enough to help him chart a different course for his life. But once Hugo knew of Sofia’s many abilities and obligations, would he be able to accept her so openly? Danger and all? She was hardly going to make a conventional duchess.

Sofia met his loving, protective gaze with equal earnestness, a plea flowing out of her,

“Mister Cedric, can you help me? To stay grounded? You’ve known me for so long– if you see changes in me that aren’t who I should be, won’t you please tell me? I don’t want to change, and I don’t think Hugo would ask me to, at least not on purpose, but there is only so much we can avoid his father and his wishes. Becoming part of Hugo’s family means that we are both subject to his family’s criticism, and… you know more than anyone how hard it can be to have a critical father. I have to stay strong, so that Hugo can too! Everything seemed so simple when I helped you prove to your father that you deserved the family wand, but I realize now everything runs so much deeper. Promise me you’ll always tell me the truth, please, especially if you see me becoming a different person.”

\---

“…of course.” 

But she was a different person already. Stronger and more resilient; the years had led her to become a young woman that would make anybody who had known her as a child proud. Change was just a natural part of life, and he dreaded needing to tell if whatever she became was natural to her or a product of Hugo’s meddling. She was usually so grounded and headstrong, however, and the fears that embraced him might not have as much holding in reality as he worried. So many similar fears had turned out to be nothing more than the monsters in his mind trying to sabotage the goodness of life.

As long as she never left him it would be okay.

“Haven’t I given you nothing but the truth over the recent years, child?” he would question, scarred fingers reaching out to embrace her own with a playful caress, “I promise.”

\---

“Thank you,” Sofia whispered, resting her cheek against his palm as they smiled at each other. It was enormously comforting to the princess to know that no matter how old she got or the trials that lay ahead, there was always one place she could come to ‘just be herself,’ and know that she was enough. Always the two of them had accepted each other as they were– striving to help each other achieve their goals and dreams, but never once wishing that they were anyone different. 

No wonder he was so protective of her, so worried that Hugo might try to conform her into some other kind of woman. But Sofia treasured the honesty they had with one another as much as he did, and she knew now neither one of them would ever let that happen. Marveling, she realized his fear had been just as powerful as hers, if not stronger. How silly they both were! How dearly they needed each other.

Planting a kiss inside his hand, she pulled back from his embrace to take a sip of her tea and shake off some of her anxiousness. So much was happening so fast that she needed to calm her nerves almost as much as he! Sofia realized as she ruminated that it had been several months since her last visit here, and that just as much must have happened in his workshop as it had in her life.  
“So tell me what it is that has you so engrossed these days,” she started, changing the subject to something a little less heart wrenching– at least she hoped. "I’m ashamed to say that as your apprentice, I haven’t inquired about your latest accomplishment yet!“


End file.
